What are ya'll using for stem dots?

On one pipe I used nail Polish called hard as nails, worked for me although it was for a Dunhill.

There was a seller on the 'bay that sold white plastic rods to make replacement spots for Dunhill pipes. Quick search doesn't result in any hits.

Hard as nails is just like the adversitisment, should work for you, put a big drop, let it settle, then go from there!

Maybe I'll do something ridiculous--make a clown themed pipe with a stem covered in dots of various sizes and colors. Stick it in a presentational box that looks like a circus tent, complete with juggling pin tamper. 

Quick update: Nail polish was a bust. Has a tendency to settle into the hole lower than the rim, requiring additional applications. Combined with a long curing time, the results are too inconsistent and time consuming.

I did find a product at the local art store called Apoxie Sculpt, and it looks promising. It's a binary clay, but adheres like an epoxy. It can be packed into the hole well, doesn't settle, and it cures after 24 hours. The stuff comes in colors, but I experimented with white by adding some powered pigment to it. The results look good. I'm waiting till morning to sand and polish my test piece, but I think this is what I'll end up using going forward.

Here's a link to the stuff, for anyone who's interested: avesstudio.com/shop/apoxie-sculpt/

Yeah, I had given some thought to that, but couldn't find a source of acrylic. It's a moot point though since this Apoxie Sculpt seems to do the trick. I let it cure overnight and then sanded and polished my test piece and it came out perfectly. I also found out by accident that it's quite durable too--the buffing wheel grabbed the piece and fired around the shop like a bullet. Both of the test dots survived. The powdered dye (Jacquard Pearl Ex) worked out well too, so I may experiment later with blending colors.


Only down side is you end up throwing away more than you use for a single dot. But since I'm only mixing a pea sized amount at a time, I can live with it. I took the leftover and put holes through it to make beads. Figured it might be a nice embellishment for the sock if the tassels match the dots. If I make stem dots a regular feature, what I'll likely do is wait until I've got several pipes shaped and sanded to that point, then put dots on all of them at the same time, to conserve material.